Enameling machine.



F. W. MILES. ENAMELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1914.

F W. MILES.

ENAMELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, 1914.

l 9 1Q6 5UF Q Patented July 13, 1915.

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Patented July 13, 1915.

F. W. MILES. ENAMELING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5, (914.

mu humus ED STATES PATENT QFFTGE.

FRANK WILLIAM MILES, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO HYDRAULIC PRESS BRICK COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

ENAMELING-MAOHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patmmbgfl J ly 13 3159115 Application filed November 5, 1914. Serial No. 870,469.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK VVILLIADL,

useful Improvements in Enameling-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine for applying enamel or the like, and more particularly to a machine for enameling bricks or the like and has for its primary object the provision of an apparatus of the character specified which shall be efficient, economical to operate and free from objectionable features.

A further object of this invention is to provide a machine so constructed as to protect the workmen operating the same and to insure at all times a perfect coating of the articles treated by the apparatus.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an apparatus adapted to increase the output and cles coated thereby.

- With these and other objects in View, as will hereinafter appear, this invention consists in the novel arrangement and peculiar combination of the various related. .e lements" of an enameling machine as hereinafter set forth and more particularly designated in the appended claims.

With reference to the drawingsforminga portion of this specification and in which similar reference characters indicate the same part wherever used; Figure 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a front view thereof; Fig. 3 is a top plan view; Fig. 4 is a detail sec tion of one of the spray nozzles and a portion of its accompanying hood; and Fig. 5 is a detail section through the conveyer and hood substantially on section 55 of Fig. 1, and showing by dotted lines two positions in which bricks may be treated.

. The numeral 6 designates a base or platform mounted on wheels 7 which permit of the apparatus being moved to any part of the plant. Supported upon the base 6 are a plurality of brackets 9-10 which carry the side rails 11 and 12 of the conveyer comprising a belt 13 running over a series of pulleys 1 1 and traction rollers 15 and 16. Means for tensioning the belt 13 are placed at 17 on the side rails.

quality of the...a-rti- The particular mounting of the mechanism or the particular type of conveyer forms no part of the invention and may be changed or modified as desired.

Directly above the conveyer 13 and so an ranged as to permit of the conveyer traveling therethrough is a hood 18, provided on one side with a large funnel-shaped exten- .S1on 19, and on the opposite side and top with relatively smaller funnel shaped extensions 20 and 21. The hood 18 is supported by a plurality of uprights 22 and 23 carrymg a cross bar 24: positioned above the hood.

Upon a platform 25, supported by uprights 26, 27, 28 and 29, is an exhaust fan or turbo-blower 30 of any approved construction, connected with the hood 18 by means of a pipe 31, said fan being also connected with an exhaust pipe 82. The fan 30 is shown as driven by an electric motor 83 mounted on the base 6 through a belt 34, and is adapted to exhaust from the hood 18 as will be hereinafter described. A second electric motor is provided on the base (i, and drives, by means of a belt 36, a pulley 37, carried by a shaft 38 supported by brackets 39-40 upon uprights 28-29.

Mounted upon the platform 25 is a con- *tainer, shown as a barrel, from which the enameling material is supplied. Mounted in bearings 45, 46, on a frame 42 is'a vertical shaft 43, which extends down into the container, and at its lower end carries any suitable mixing or agitating device to keep the enamel properly stirred. This mixing shaft is shown as driven through a bevel gear 4-1: thereon, with which meshes a bevel gear 18 on a stub shaft 47, which also carries the pulley 47 driven by a belt 49 extending over said pulley and a pulley 50 on the shaft 88. A second pulley 51 upon the shaft 38 carries a belt 52 which drives a shaft 53 journaled in suitable bearings 54: and 55 upon the base 6, by means of a pulley 53 fast on the shaft.

The shaft 53 carries a gear 56 engaging a gear 57 having a sprocket wheel thereon. A chain 59 is driven by the sprocket wheel 58 and drives a second sprocket wheel 0 upon the shaft 61 of the driving roller 15 of the conveyer 13, thus imparting motion thereto.

In the outer or smaller end of each of the funnel shaped spraying hoods 19, 20 and 21 is placed a spraying nozzle, shown in detail in Fig. 4:. This nozzle comprises a central have found in practice tube 63, provided with a fish-tail nozzle 61. The tube 63 is carried by a screwthreaded member 65, which is adapted to be inserted into an internally screw-threaded pipe 66, having an angled projecting pipe 07, and a contracted mouth 68 Whichprojects within the hood.

Extending from the lower portion of the receptacle 11 are three pipes 69, 70 and 71, one of which is connected to a. pipe 67 of the respective spray nozzles of the hoods 19, and 21. vided with valves 72, 73 and 7 1 for cutting off the flow of material from the receptacle 41 therethrough.

7 S designates a main line or pipe adapted to be supplied with compressed air from any suitable source, the pipe being shown as supported by blocks 79 and 80 on the cross bar 24. Each air tube 63 of the nozzles is connected to the pipe 78 by one of the pipes designated 7 5, and 77, provided with the valves 82, 83 respectively, by means of which the supply of compressed air to the nozzles may be independently controlled. A pipe 85 is connected with the pipe 78 and is provided with a valve 86 by means of which the air pipe system may be blown off to clear the s air supply ame.

The hood 18 is provided with a door 87 at each end thereof, these doors being each slidably mounted in guides 88 at each side of an opening in the hood over the path of the conveyer, the width of the opening being slightly greater than the length of a brick. Each of the doors 87 is also provided with an opening slightly greater than the width of a brick and these latter openings are adapted to be closed by doors 89 slidably mounted in guides of the doors 87, whereby when the bricks are to be passed through the hood with their length extending across the conveyer, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, then the doors 87 are raised, whereas when the bricks are to be treated with their length extending longitudinally of the conveyer, as shown in full lines in Fig. 5, then only the doors 89 are raised.

As has been previously described, the hood 18 is provided with three funnel shaped extensions 19, 20 and 21. The funnel shaped extension 19 is the largest of the three, and is of such a size as to adapt it to convey material to be sprayed from its spraying nozzle onto the side of the largest face of a brick. The funnel 2.1 is middle size, and is adapted to spray material from its nozzle onto the edge of av brick, whereas the funnel 20 is the smallest, and is adapted to direct material from its nozzle onto the end of a brick. I

that it is not necessary to provide any adjustment for the spraying nozzles of the funnels 20, 21, but that it is desirable to be able to adjust the The pipes 69, 70 and 71 are pro- 90 secured to the face nozzle of the funnel 20 vertically. In order to effect this I have shown the nozzle as being pivotally connected at 100 to a bracket 99, fixed upon the top of the table 98. Extending from the underside of the nozzle is an arm 101 providedwith an opening adjacent its outer end, through which extends a threaded stem 104-. secured at its lower end upon the top of the table 98. Threaded on the stem, and engaging thelever 101 between them are a pair of nuts 102,103, by means of which the lever may be adjusted on the stem and consequently the nozzle moved up and down.

In the operation of my device bricks are successively placed on the conveyer13 in either position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5, depending upon whether or not the face of the brick is to be enameled. If a side of the brick, one end of the brick, or side and end are to be enameled, then the bricks are placed on the conveyer in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5. If the face of the brick is to be enameled only thenozzle in the funnel 19 is operated. If the end of the brick is to be enameled the nozzle in the funnel 20 is operated. If the edge of the brick then the nozzle in the funnel 21 is operated, and if the edge and end then both the nozzles in the funnels 20 and 21 are oper+ ated. By having all'the funnels connected to a single hood, which inturn is connected to an exhaust, the enamel is prevented from going into the air of the work-room, and thus ill-effects on the workmen which are produced by any attempt to spray bricks without the use of the hood are avoided. Furthermore by the funnels the enamel is directed only onto the face which it is desired to coat, and the other faces are left clear. Furthermore the bricks passing at a constant rate of speed in front of the nozzles and the enamel being sprayed continuously and evenly produces a coating which is substantially the same on all the bricks treated, and makes the enamel much more uniform than has heretofore been possible. Furthermore the machine will produce enameled bricks with far greater speed and more economically than has heretofore been possible.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of my invention could me made, without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a. limiting sense.

That I claim as new is:

1. In a machine of the characterdescribed, the combination with a hood, a conveyer passing therethrough, a plurality of sprayiousing extensions formed on said hood,

and means for spraying coating material located in each of said extensions. I

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a hood, a conveyer passing therethrough, a plurality of extensions formed in said hood, means for spraying coating material located in each of said extensions, said extensions, being so constructed as to be proportionate in size to the articles to be coated.

3. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a conveyer, means for operating said conveyor, a hood mounted in the path of travel of said conveyor, a plurality of non-alining spray housing extensions provided on said hood, and a spray nozzle in each of said extensions.

4. In a machine of the character described, the combination with a conveyor, means for operating said conveyer, a hood mounted in the path of travel of said conveyer, a plurality of non-alining spray housing extensions provided on said hood, a spray nozzle in each of said extensions, and means for supplying air under pressure and coating material to the said spray nozzles.

5. In a machine of the character set forth, the combination with a hood, of a conveyer passing therethrough, means for operating said conveyor, means carried by said hood adapted to house spraying means, and means carried by said last named means adapted to be used selectively to spray articles carried through said hood by said conveyer, means for closing said hood, an exhaust fan in communication With the said hood, and means for varying at will the spray to said articles.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANK WILLIAM MILES. Witnesses:

GEO. F. BAKER,

RALPH SIMPKINS. 

